If the Stars Align
by Margie Smitherson
Summary: When a life-threatening injury occurs at the ice rink, the Book Club is shaken up in ways they will never imagine. The number one question is will Tristan survive?
1. Flung into Eternity

Cassidy

Push! Glide! I soar around Concord's rink, with Tristan close behind me. Now that the Berkeleys have moved here to Concord, things have been a lot easier.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Tristan wheezes.

"I'll be fine," I tell him. We might be skating, but we aren't supposed to. The rink is supposed to be closed for the next week, so the ice is slowly melted and it has a lot of grooves.

"Well," He says," then I will too," I try not to laugh at his snotty expression- sometimes he gets like this without even knowing it.

"Come on, Fancy Pants," I say," how about a dance?" He grins- a rare feat for Tristan- and we dance around the ice. I've done this so many times with him that my feet know the motions. I look up into his dark eyes.

"So, Fancy Pants," I say," I've come a long way, haven't I?" He snorts.

"Yeah, you've gotten a lot better." I fluff my hair, and he laughs. He used to be super snotty.

"Sometime, we should go back to Chawton," I say. We went to a ball there, and, although Tristan will never admit it, had a lot of fun.

"Yeah. Hey, my brother and Megan are coming then to pick us up for the movie," He says.

"Great. How's Toby?" Tristan groans.

"I don't know what Darcy did to him, because all day he says 'Darcy Rocks' over and over!"

"Well, couldn't you teach it to say something about you? Like 'Mr. Fancy Pants?" I suggest.

"He already says something- he says 'Tristan's a snob, Tristan's a snob!'" I start laughing.

"That was Emma, actually."

"Emma?" He looks confused.

"Yeah, well when you first moved here we thought you were a stuck up snob and Emma thought it would be hilarious to teach him that…" My voice trails off. Now he looks really angry.

"You guys thought all that about me?" His voice is cold. Uh-oh.

"Well yeah, but…"

"You guys didn't even get to know me?"

"Hey hold on a second!" I say. He pushes past me.

"I don't think I care,"

With that, he skates away. I can't believe he's being such a jerk! I mean, that was a long time ago! Suddenly, I hear the clash of skate guards. I automatically turn, just in time to see Tristan fly through the air like a rag doll. He crashes into the boards and falls down onto the ice, just as the door opens and Megan and Simon walk in.

"Tristan!" I yell. I skate to his side. He's not breathing.


	2. Can't Doesn't Really Exist

Simon

I walk inside the rink with to see my brother on the ground. Not moving.

"No!" I yell," Cassidy looks up, with a look of sheer panic. I rush towards him, but I slip on the ice, bruising my jaw. I flinch in pain, but I am determined to get to him.

"Here," says Megan, extending a hand to me. She already has ice skates on, and she swiftly pulls me over.

"Tris," I say. Megan pulls out her phone.

"I'm calling 911," She says. I nod quickly, then turn my attention to my brother.

"He's not breathing," says Cassidy urgently.

"Turn him over," I immediately demand. I push on his chest until he starts breathing shallowly. I look at Cassidy. We're in the same health class and she knows the same thing that I do: This won't last long. The second thing we both know: neither of us is licensed in CPR, and the third thing: you could kill someone if you don't know how to do CPR right. Megan returns.

"The ambulance is coming. Is he breathing?" I look at him and start more chest compressions.

"Not anymore. I think he did something to his windpipe," I say. She frowns.

"Didn't one of you do CPR?"

"Don't know how," I say truthfully.

"Move over,"

A minute later, he's breathing again. We hear sirens in the distance. I tense up, and Megan grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly. Oh, please, don't take my brother. Please. The ambulance arrives, and the paramedics break the glass that looms between the rink and the stands to get to him. They lift him into the ambulance on a stretcher, as we jog behind them.

"Hurry up and get in," urges a young paramedic. As we whiz through the streets, I slump to the floor. Megan sits next to me.

"Hey," she says," it's going to be okay,"

"And what if it isn't?" I ask.

"It will be," I lean heavily against her, and she brushes my hair out of my eyes. We rush through the streets, closer and closer to the hospital. Cassidy is completely hysterical.

"It's all my fault," She keeps saying, even though, of course, it's not. My brother is laying limp in the stretcher. I feel like I'm going to scream. Instead, I lean against Megan and fall asleep.

When I open my eyes, I find that we're in a tidy hospital room. I'm leaning against Megan, who's in the chair next to me.

"What?" My mom comes over.

"Honey, it's pretty serious," She says.

"Mom, is…"

"The doctors say that he has better chances than most. They say that only family can be here too," She says.

"Megan…"

"Megan's not leaving," She says," They can make an exception." I try to stifle a sob.

"What are the- the chances?" I ask her. She hesitates. "Please,"

"There's a 40% chance he'll live," She says. He's my brother. He has to live.

"And if he does?"

"There's a good chance that he'll never skate again,"

"But he and Cassidy just qualified for the junior Olympics!"

"There's nothing we can do about it," She says gently. "Your father is going to drive you and Megan back to the hotel." We silently walk to the car, and sit silent all the way to the Boston Hotel.

"Your room is 123, Megan, and yours is 121 Simon. We're in 122." I nod, and Megan and I troop into the elevator, where we ride up to our floor next to a lady wearing a dress of peacock feathers. She motions me into her room.

"Tell me," She says," what are you going to do? Are you going to stay at the hospital or are you going to come home?"

"I'm staying," I say," my brother needs me." I try not to sob.

"Come on," she says. "You need to sleep," She takes me to my room, where I fall asleep on her lap as she strokes my curls to keep me from crying. I can't do this any longer. I can't be a wimp in front of my friends, I can't desert my brother, and I can't let any of this go. I can't.


	3. Unimaginable

Cassidy

"Is he going to be okay?" I ask my mother urgently. She puts the phone down.

"The doctors don't know, honey," I slump down against the wall.

"Can't I go visit him?" I plead. My mother sighs.

"No, Cassidy. We've talked about this already."

"But Mom!"

"Honey, we've got to listen to the doctors, but I can tell you need something to take your mind off things…" She drums her perfectly manicured fingers on the table. "I'm going to call Phoebe."

As she talks to Mrs. Hawthorne, I play dolls with Chloe. My mind's not in the game, though. A little voice keeps saying "This is all your fault".

"Cassidy!" My mother calls.

"What?" I ask, bounding down the steps.

"It's all arranged. You're going to spend a week in England!" All the breath goes out of me.

"_England_?"

"You'll stay with a perfectly nice family!" She says.

"_What?_ When do I leave?" She checks her watch.

"In three hours," She reports.

"WHAT?" I can't believe it. _My mother's sending me to England._ Soon enough, I'm walking down an aisle of a plane, watching her and Chloe wave from inside the airport. I can't believe my Mother is actually sending me to England. My mother told me to look for a "Hazel". My gaze lands on a pretty chestnut haired woman, sitting next to a dark haired girl whose face is turned away from me.

"This is just a guess, but are you Hazel?" I ask. She smiles.

"Yes, I am. You must be Cassidy." She shakes my hand. I am wondering how my mom knows this Hazel, and just as the plane starts to take off, I decide to ask her. Suddenly, I see the face of the girl at the window.

And it's Annabelle Fairfax.

_"__Annabelle?"_

_"__Cassidy?"_ She turns to Hazel, "Mom, what were you thinking?"

"Why, Clemmie and I were friends in college!" She says," I had no idea you two knew each other! Why, this is just lovely!"

_Lovely?_

"MOM!" Apparently Annabelle agrees with me. I grab my cell phone and speed dial Mom.

"Hello?"

"Mom! You never told me it was Hazel _Fairfax_!"

"What's wrong with that?" She asks. I heave a sigh.

"Mom, your college friend just happens to be Stinkerbelle's mother!"

"Oh my!" She says," I haven't talked to Hazel in a while- I had no idea. Though it does explain…"

"MOM!"

"All right," She says. "Well, you'll just have to deal with her," And with that, she hangs up. Thanks, Mom. I turn back to Hazel and Stinkerbelle.

"Cassidy, would you like something to drink?" Hazel inquires. Annabelle groans.

This will be a long flight.

When we finally arrive in England, I am absolutely exhausted. We all pile into Hazel's van and drive to her house. Annabelle keeps giving me withering glances that could kill a cat.

"Thank you, Hazel, for letting me stay," I say.

"Oh, Cassidy, it's no problem," She says.

Ignoring Annabelle, I look outside. We're driving past a gorgeous little river, lined with cobblestone paths. We pass houses covered in Ivy, and several with thatched roofs. I suck in my breath when I see a sign that says "Chawton House, Highway 88".

We arrive in their house, which is fairly large.

"Annabelle, show Cassidy her room," Stinkerbelle glares at me and motions for me to follow. She shows me into a bedroom that is all decorated in pink. Oh, man. Then I realize that there's two beds- I'm sharing a room with Stinkerbelle in the flesh. Suddenly her phone rings.

_"__WHAT!"_ She screams. "_HOW_?" She hangs up and stares into space.

"What?" I ask.

_"__Tristan just died."_


	4. NOT a Pretty Little Liar

**Okay, okay, I probably, like scared off half of the fans with that last chapter. DON"T WORRY. JUST KEEP READING. You'll understand it. I would never kill off a main character- would I? (((((Rebel Belle make sure you read this)))))) Stay smart! –Margie Smitherson**

Megan

"Can you believe Cassidy is staying with _Stinkerbelle_?" I ask Becca.

"OMG! No, I can't!" She says.

"It's crazy," Jess agrees.

"Can you imagine the lies she's probably telling Cass?" I ask.

"We should call her," Becca suggests.

"MOM!" Emma calls.

"No, Emma. Cassidy needs her sleep." Mrs. Hawthorne yells back, "Tommorow,"

"Whatever," I say," I have to meet Simon soon,"

"Ooh!" Becca squeals," Let's make you all pretty!"

"Becca," I say, gently," We're going to visit his brother in the hospital. Simon doesn't care what I wear." She crosses her arms.

"Fine. Be like that," She says, but then she grins.

"Have fun," Jess teases. I run outside, where my mother is waiting.

"Ready?"

"Yes," I say. She drops me off at the hospital, then immediately drives back into Boston- she's planning to check out some new store. I think it's called "Organic Love"?

I walk into the hospital, and, in silence, ride the elevator up to Tristan's room. Suddenly, Simon runs out of the room.

"He'll live!" He shouts. He grabs me and kisses me, then runs down to the stairs. Mrs. Berkeley steps out of the hotel room shaking her head.

"I'm so sorry, Megan. We're all thrilled, but Simon- Simon I don't know what happened to him.

"Mrs. Berkeley?" asks a nurse whose name tag says Belle.

"That would be me," She says.

"Please step inside so we can discuss procedures," She says. As she and Mrs. Berkeley walk inside, I swear she winks at me. Huh. Simon comes racing back up the stairs.

"Megan?" Mrs. Berkeley calls.

"Right on it,"

I hail a cab to take Simon back to his hotel room. He protests, but I literally lock him in. (Don't ask how I did it, I don't really know.) As I'm riding back to the hospital, I stare out the window at the streets of Boston. I see cannoli stands, the water, beautiful old buildings. Boston is a really pretty city. Other than the hospital, which is plain, modern, and ugly. Like our house. I'm pretty sure that that's not what the decorators were planning on, but our house isn't exactly pretty.

I arrive at the hospital once again, and say hi to Tristan.

"Hullo," He says.

"Hey,"  
>"Where's Cassidy?" It sounds like it hurts him to talk.<p>

"She's in England. Staying with Annabelle."

"A- Annabelle?"

"Yes. Speaking of Cassidy, I need to call her. Just wait," I say. I step out into the hall and dial Cassidy's number. Sorry, Mrs. H.

She answers, sniffling.

"Uh, Cass?" She bursts into tears. "Cass, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean, what's wrong? Tristan…"

"Yes," I say, puzzled," what about Tristan. He's fine and going to live," She bursts out crying again.

"He is? He is? Annabelle- she told me… she told me…"

"What?" I demand.

"She said he died," She says.

"_What!?_" She cries harder," Look, I'm putting him on the phone." I step into Tristan's room. His face lights up.

"Cassidy! Cassidy? What? Annabelle? _She WHAT_! No, no. I'm fine. Really! Cassie…"

I tiptoe outside, leaving my phone with Tristan, who is still trying to convince Cassidy he's okay.

Stinkerbelle is _so _dead._Anna_


	5. The Final Chapter

**Hey guys! This is going to be a shorter story… so here's the last (LONG) chapter! Anyone else have EARLY DISMISSAL? What state (or province etc.) do you guys live in? I live in PA- any other Pennsylvanians? Stay Smart –Margie**

**Oh, by the way, it's also my birthday! ****J**

Jess

"I can_ not_ believe Stinkerbelle did that to her!" Emma says.

"Yeah," I agree. "That's just cold-blooded."

"She's like a crocodile," Emma says.

"Or an alligator,"

A caiman," She suggests.

It first took Tristan an hour to calm down Cassidy, and another ten minutes to convince her he wasn't a ghost. Then it took her mom over two hours to convince her not to "rip Stinkerbelle to pieces and feed her to Murphy." Cassidy is flying back to Concord tomorrow, and she supposedly "has a great plan to crush Stinkerbelle,"

"Good night, Em," I say sleepily.

"Good night," she says, or at least I think she said. I was already drifting off to sleep…

Someone grabs me from behind.

"Emma!" I start to say, but the person puts their hands over my mouth. I try struggling, but the person is too strong.

"Jess, it's me," They whisper.

Darcy.

"What are you doing here?' I whisper.

"Um, Jess, it's my house." He says, smiling at me.

"Good point," I wrap my arms around his neck and-

"Ahem!" Emma clears her throat. I quickly drift off again, still wondering, in trepidation, what Cassidy's plan is.

"Morning, sunshine!" says Emma. "Cassidy's here!"

"Already?" I ask groggily.

"You slept until eleven, Jess." She says.

"Whatever,"

I put on my jeans and a pretty blue blouse, then go downstairs to see Cassidy waiting.

"Cass?" I ask.

"Oh, hey Jess. You coming to the rink?"

"You know I don't skate," I say frowning.

"Oh, you're not going to want to miss this,"

I shrug and get in the van. We arrive… to see Stinkerbelle.

"She's staying with Simon and Tristan," whispers Megan as she skates by us.

I step out on the ice- and promptly fall down. I haven't tried skating for a while, after I hurt myself on the ice. I try skating another foot, and fall flat on my face. Darcy skates by and offers me my hand. I smile and we glide around the rink- well at first only he glides, but I get the hang of it again.

Suddenly, we see Annabelle rush to Third, who has just fallen down on the ice. Suddenly, Cassidy body checks her from behind- right into Megan, who smooshes a coconut cream pie in Stinkerbelle's face. Emma snaps a picture.

"And it's Cassidy, for REVENGE!" announces Becca. Cassidy's plan is to send it to #ILOVEBRUINS, which puts it on the jumbotron during a game.

Seems like Cassidy won again.

**Cassidy **

I've waited ages for this moment. I'm stuffed into a tight, sparkly costume- designed, of course, by famous designer Megan Rose. My makeup is done by world renowned stylist Rebecca.

Tristan and I have watched ice dancing competitions for months. He says this lady "Madame Georgina", who is a famous judge, is hard to please. "Snooty," I added.

"And for America, Mr. Tristan Berkeley and Miss. Cassidy Sloane." Booms a voice, startling me out of my thoughts.

I step out on the ice to loud cheers. This time I don't think of the triple jumps, the flip, anything. I just feel the moment. The music starts, and I automatically do a double spin to the center, to meet Tristan. He lifts me into the air, and I see Emma, Jess, Megan, and Becca in the stands. He lowers me and we finish the routine. At the end, he leans towards me, and kisses me. The fans all say "Awwwww,".

Madame Georgina smiles.

We win. Sure it's a predictable outcome. Sure this isn't the best ending to a story.

But Emma's a famous writer now, not me.

And in my opinion, it turned out just fine.

_Anna_


End file.
